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BTS Home > Publications > Commodity Flow Survey > United States
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Table 7. Shipment Characteristics by Two-Digit Commodity and Mode of Transportation for the United States: 2002

[Estimates are based on data from the 2002 Commodity Flow Survey. Because of rounding, estimates may not be additive]

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All Commodities

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes2 8,397,210 100.0 11,667,919 100.0 3,137,898 100.0 546
Single modes 7,049,383 83.9 11,086,660 95.0 2,867,938 91.4 240
Truck3 6,235,001 74.3 7,842,836 67.2 1,255,908 40.0 173
For-hire truck 3,757,114 44.7 3,657,333 31.3 959,610 30.6 523
Private truck 2,445,288 29.1 4,149,658 35.6 291,114 9.3 64
Rail 310,884 3.7 1,873,884 16.1 1,261,612 40.2 807
Water 89,344 1.1 681,227 5.8 282,659 9.0 568
Shallow draft 57,467 0.7 458,577 3.9 211,501 6.7 450
Great Lakes 843 – 38,041 0.3 13,808 0.4 339
Deep draft 31,034 0.4 184,610 1.6 57,350 1.8 664
Air (includes truck and air) 264,959 3.2 3,760 – 5,835 0.2 1,919
Pipeline4 149,195 1.8 684,953 5.9 S S S
Multiple modes 1,079,185 12.9 216,686 1.9 225,715 7.2 895
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 987,746 11.8 25,513 0.2 19,004 0.6 894
Truck and rail 69,929 0.8 42,984 0.4 45,525 1.5 1,413
Truck and water 14,359 0.2 23,299 0.2 32,413 1.0 1,950
Rail and water 3,329 – 105,107 0.9 114,986 3.7 957
Other multiple modes 3,822 – 19,782 0.2 13,788 0.4 S
Other and unknown modes 268,642 3.2 364,573 3.1 44,245 1.4 130

SCTG 01, Live animals and live fish

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 7,410 100.0 6,118 100.0 1,586 100.0 530
Single modes 7,063 95.3 5,840 95.5 1,483 93.5 142
Truck3 7,039 95.0 5,838 95.4 1,479 93.2 133
For-hire truck 2,564 34.6 1,880 30.7 773 48.8 442
Private truck 4,474 60.4 3,957 64.7 706 44.5 120
Rail – – – – – – –
Water S S S S S S 269
Shallow draft – – – – – – –
Great Lakes – – – – – – –
Deep draft S S S S S S 269
Air (includes truck and air) 23 0.3 1 – 4 0.2 2,115
Pipeline4 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes S S S S S S 1,752
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S S S S S S 1,752
Truck and rail – – – – – – –
Truck and water – – – – – – –
Rail and water – – – – – – –
Other multiple modes – – – – – – –
Other and unknown modes S S S S S S 184

SCTG 02, Cereal grains

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 53,835 100.0 561,089 100.0 264,239 100.0 138
Single modes 51,775 96.2 538,192 95.9 248,732 94.1 140
Truck3 20,983 39.0 209,833 37.4 22,336 8.5 99
For-hire truck 14,316 26.6 138,563 24.7 17,543 6.6 128
Private truck 6,645 12.3 71,091 12.7 4,754 1.8 61
Rail 15,905 29.5 172,066 30.7 141,825 53.7 724
Water 14,872 27.6 156,076 27.8 84,356 31.9 1,172
Shallow draft 7,772 14.4 80,488 14.3 81,260 30.8 1,233
Great Lakes S S S S S S 1
Deep draft 6,911 12.8 73,466 13.1 3,094 1.2 332
Air (includes truck and air) S S S S S S 940
Pipeline4 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes 1,074 2.0 12,174 2.2 13,353 5.1 502
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S S S S S S 394
Truck and rail S S S S S S 393
Truck and water 380 0.7 5,191 0.9 7,281 2.8 1,480
Rail and water S S S S S S 1,709
Other multiple modes S S S S S S 1,329
Other and unknown modes S S S S 2,154 0.8 S

SCTG 03, Other agricultural products

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 129,471 100.0 259,178 100.0 109,362 100.0 481
Single modes 122,638 94.7 251,580 97.1 102,817 94.0 141
Truck3 105,660 81.6 166,943 64.4 46,511 42.5 127
For-hire truck 52,773 40.8 94,246 36.4 38,718 35.4 624
Private truck 52,797 40.8 72,340 27.9 7,758 7.1 55
Rail 6,600 5.1 30,016 11.6 25,019 22.9 847
Water 9,575 7.4 54,558 21.1 31,182 28.5 608
Shallow draft 4,675 3.6 27,261 10.5 30,177 27.6 1,172
Great Lakes – – – – – – –
Deep draft 4,901 3.8 27,297 10.5 1,005 0.9 99
Air (includes truck and air) S S 63 – 105 0.1 2,393
Pipeline4 S S S S S S S
Multiple modes 4,643 3.6 4,776 1.8 6,141 5.6 1,796
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 2,121 1.6 159 – 246 0.2 1,801
Truck and rail 2,061 1.6 2,370 0.9 2,979 2.7 2,063
Truck and water 320 0.2 S S S S 928
Rail and water S S S S S S 936
Other multiple modes S S S S S S S
Other and unknown modes 2,189 1.7 2,821 1.1 404 0.4 S

SCTG 04, Animal feed and products of animal origin, nec

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 52,142 100.0 227,991 100.0 51,158 100.0 167
Single modes 49,368 94.7 221,945 97.3 43,579 85.2 84
Truck3 45,463 87.2 196,395 86.1 26,531 51.9 78
For-hire truck 21,214 40.7 88,961 39.0 18,357 35.9 231
Private truck 24,229 46.5 107,306 47.1 8,157 15.9 47
Rail 3,689 7.1 23,586 10.3 15,550 30.4 860
Water 214 0.4 1,960 0.9 1,497 2.9 312
Shallow draft 141 0.3 1,534 0.7 1,489 2.9 1,020
Great Lakes – – – – – – –
Deep draft S S S S S S 87
Air (includes truck and air) S S S S S S 965
Pipeline4 S S S S S S S
Multiple modes S S 3,337 1.5 S S 843
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S S S S S S 804
Truck and rail 135 0.3 S S S S 1,333
Truck and water S S S S S S 2,456
Rail and water S S S S S S 841
Other multiple modes S S S S S S S
Other and unknown modes 759 1.5 2,709 1.2 498 1.0 52

SCTG 05, Meat, fish, seafood, and their preparations

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 201,304 100.0 84,506 100.0 41,352 100.0 162
Single modes 197,558 98.1 82,704 97.9 40,788 98.6 128
Truck3 196,441 97.6 81,976 97.0 39,757 96.1 119
For-hire truck 111,055 55.2 47,665 56.4 32,333 78.2 629
Private truck 84,106 41.8 33,663 39.8 7,150 17.3 59
Rail 489 0.2 434 0.5 617 1.5 1,112
Water 250 0.1 S S S S 2,133
Shallow draft S S S S S S 283
Great Lakes – – – – – – –
Deep draft 182 – S S S S 2,237
Air (includes truck and air) 379 0.2 61 – 147 0.4 2,337
Pipeline4 – – – – S S S
Multiple modes 901 0.4 238 0.3 263 0.6 897
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 287 0.1 28 – 27 – 897
Truck and rail 113 – S S S S 1,540
Truck and water 471 0.2 149 0.2 176 0.4 1,665
Rail and water – – – – – – –
Other multiple modes S S S S S S 11
Other and unknown modes 2,845 1.4 1,564 1.9 302 0.7 S

SCTG 06, Milled grain products and preparations, and bakery

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 113,379 100.0 109,311 100.0 49,001 100.0 189
Single modes 109,986 97.0 106,270 97.2 45,622 93.1 113
Truck3 106,430 93.9 93,038 85.1 32,800 66.9 110
For-hire truck 62,070 54.7 62,293 57.0 27,304 55.7 437
Private truck 44,196 39.0 30,201 27.6 5,407 11.0 56
Rail 3,312 2.9 12,086 11.1 12,008 24.5 1,121
Water S S S S S S 561
Shallow draft S S S S S S 744
Great Lakes – – – – – – –
Deep draft S S S S S S 460
Air (includes truck and air) S S S S S S 2,511
Pipeline4 S S S S S S S
Multiple modes 2,530 2.2 1,775 1.6 2,974 6.1 767
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 995 0.9 156 0.1 130 0.3 765
Truck and rail 1,500 1.3 1,591 1.5 2,766 5.6 1,626
Truck and water 36 – 28 – 78 0.2 S
Rail and water – – – – – – –
Other multiple modes – – – – – – –
Other and unknown modes 862 0.8 1,266 1.2 405 0.8 S

SCTG 07, Other prepared foodstuffs and fats and oils

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 355,561 100.0 448,924 100.0 161,565 100.0 179
Single modes 342,560 96.3 436,405 97.2 152,783 94.6 84
Truck3 327,079 92.0 388,784 86.6 109,424 67.7 82
For-hire truck 169,393 47.6 177,348 39.5 84,955 52.6 375
Private truck 155,841 43.8 209,345 46.6 23,754 14.7 50
Rail 14,295 4.0 43,485 9.7 40,611 25.1 978
Water 910 0.3 3,829 0.9 2,683 1.7 472
Shallow draft 674 0.2 3,521 0.8 2,514 1.6 S
Great Lakes – – – – – – –
Deep draft 236 – 307 – 168 0.1 557
Air (includes truck and air) 120 – S S S S 1,422
Pipeline4 157 – S S S S S
Multiple modes 7,492 2.1 4,160 0.9 7,278 4.5 961
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 3,874 1.1 294 – 211 0.1 953
Truck and rail 3,298 0.9 3,565 0.8 6,318 3.9 1,976
Truck and water 301 – 259 – 735 0.5 1,580
Rail and water S S S S S S 313
Other multiple modes S S S S S S 389
Other and unknown modes 5,509 1.5 8,359 1.9 1,505 0.9 S

SCTG 08, Alcoholic beverages

Mode of transportation Value Tons Ton-miles1 Average miles
per shipment
2002
(million $)		 Percent of total 2002
(thousands)		 Percent of total 2002
(millions)		 Percent of
total
All modes 108,991 100.0 89,434 100.0 25,735 100.0 55
Single modes 105,874 97.1 87,707 98.1 24,210 94.1 49
Truck3 101,467 93.1 80,426 89.9 17,226 66.9 48
For-hire truck 30,377 27.9 30,525 34.1 14,560 56.6 259
Private truck 70,746 64.9 49,685 55.6 2,634 10.2 32
Rail 4,131